The Vagrant
by Smooth Raven
Summary: He was a wanderer, a vagabond, a vagrant... and somehow he ended up changing her life forever.
1. Entrance

_There are certain times when it is impossible to recognize that one tiny thing is about to greatly alter the trajectory of your life. Perhaps it's a split-second decision you make that starts off a long chain of events, or a situation that you have absolutely no control over. __Or, maybe, if you were a young, red-haired girl living in the small village of Mineral Town, it's a mysterious wanderer that you just so happen to come across one morning in the middle of spring. __Whatever the circumstance, it may not be until long afterwards, when your existence has nearly reached its end and you are quietly reflecting upon your life, that you will notice it._

_Here follows once such instance._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

**_ Entrance_**

_"Goddess, we thank you for all that you have blessed us with in this life. We thank you for this food that we consume and the food that we serve, and we humbly ask that you continue to provide us with the blessings of your crops. Amen."_

Ann opened her eyes and uncrossed her fingers. She smiled at her father from across the table_. _It was mid-spring and she could already see the lovely morning light streaming in through the kitchen window. She picked up her fork and knife and started cutting her blueberry pancakes into squares.

She was in high spirits and was indeed thankful for the food in front of her. Her father was easily the best chef in town, and she was grateful for the opportunity to work with him in the inn that her family owned and had run successfully since the sixties.

She continued on to her scrambled eggs, which were mixed with freshly picked green bell peppers from their small garden. Life wasn't so bad in Mineral Town. It was pleasant, really. It was a tight-knit community filled with about eight or so small families and a few bachelors. Everyone more or less got along. She had grown up with four other girls around her own age, and they had remained fairly close through childhood and their adolescent years. Each was independent and unique in their own way. Karen, who was her closest friend of the four, was fiery and full of passion, but also dedicated and practical when she needed to be. Mary was shy but exceptionally brilliant and a very talented writer. Popuri was pretty, girlish, and extremely friendly and charismatic toward everyone she met. Elli was fiercely loyal to her family, hardworking, intelligent, and protective of her closest friends and particularly her younger brother. And she, Ann, was an amalgam of things. She considered herself a good friend and listener. She knew she was nowhere near as intelligent as Mary or even Elli, nor as bubbly as Popuri or as passionate as Karen, but she felt that she at least somewhat embodied each of these qualities. Most of all, she was an appreciator of people, and she was always there to lend a hand if someone needed it. She was also a budding chef and a businesswoman in training. Her father was her main role model when it came to developing these traits.

Once she had rid her plate of the last of her breakfast, she took her and her father's dishes to the sink and quickly rinsed them. She grabbed an apron from a hook on the wall and threw it around her neck.

"Ready, pumpkin?" her father called to her.

"Yep. Just a sec," she replied, running back to grab her white signature hair bow and quickly tying it into her hair. "OK, ready."

She followed her father out of the back room and into the main dining area of the inn, where visitors were just starting to trickle in.

Ann glanced over at them, ready to greet her routine morning customers. Harris, the town officer, would be there to grab a cup of coffee and a bagel before he made his rounds. Zach always stopped in to eat a large breakfast and chat with her father about the weather, the crops, current events, or perhaps politics. Won would drop in every once in awhile to try and sell various things to her father, who generously bought them even though he had no need for most of the objects. Around nine, a sleepy-eyed Gray would find his way downstairs to grab a quick bite and then head out the door to the blacksmith's shop where he worked with his grandfather. He would give a sorrowful "mornin'" to Ann as he shuffled by. In return, she would shout some sort of encouragement, perhaps a "show 'em what you got!" or a "today's your day!" as he passed. He would raise a hand in gratitude as he walked out the door.

She was ready for the normal daily routine when she all of a sudden stopped short. There, amongst the usual customers, was someone she did not recognize. He was already sitting at a table, glancing through a menu that had sat dustily on one of the tables. Ann turned to her father in curiosity.

"Hey, Pa, who's that?" she said out of the corner of her mouth, gesturing toward the unknown visitor. He quickly glanced over to where she had indicated, and then continued walking to the counter.

"That," he said, pausing to say good morning to Harris, "is just some vagrant who wandered in late last night. He paid for a couple nights, so he'll most likely be gone in a day or two." His tone was somewhat disparaging, which she felt was unusual for her father. It seemed his impression of him had already formed.

Still, she was friendly by nature and did not wish to be so quick to judge, so she set aside any preconceived notions and went over to his table. He did not look up at her until she was standing next to him and had cheerfully welcomed him to the inn.

She felt a small leap in her chest that she could not explain when his gaze met her own. He had piercing brown eyes that nearly threw her off balance. His chestnut hair was shoulder-length and shaggy, and was casually tied behind him. He had a nice face. She found it quite attractive, even. But something about his look was unnerving her, and she turned away instinctively as he thanked her in reply.

Ann remembered her manners and asked if he would like anything to eat.

"Hmm, just some toast," he told her. He tried to hand her the menu.

"Oh. Uh," she paused, then pushed it back at him. "That's okay, just keep it on the table."

He smirked and set it down, leaning back into his chair and putting his feet up on the one across from him.

She turned back toward the bar for a moment, and then paused.

"Oh, by the way, I'm Ann," she said, plastering on a smile and sticking out her hand. He looked at her from the side but did not shake it.

"Cliff," he simply replied, and then he went back to relaxing.

She turned, embarrassed, and walked off. Halfway to the kitchen, she was fuming. It seemed her father's impression of the wanderer was correct.

* * *

><p>Later, during the midday lull, Ann and Karen sat up by the Goddess spring, dipping their feet in the water. It was very pleasant weather, and Ann was glad for the reprieve.<p>

"Hey, what do you think of that new guy?" she asked, leaning back onto her hands and trying to sound casual.

"Oh, Cliff or whatever? He stopped by the store earlier. Kinda hot," Karen replied.

Ann nodded in agreement, but thought to herself for a moment. "Kinda weird, though."

Karen took a pack of cigarettes out of her pocket and stuck one in her mouth. "Yeah, I guess," she responded, pulling out a lighter.

Ann wrinkled her nose at her. "Ugh, you know I don't like it when you do that, Kare."

Karen lit the cigarette anyway.

"What? I've been under a lot of stress lately, practically running the store by myself and all."

Ann knew this was true, as Karen's father was not very assertive and would often let the villagers get away with discounts that the store could not afford.

"Anyway, back to the subject at hand," Karen said, taking a quick drag from the cigarette. "How long do you think he'll be around?" She exhaled a large cloud of smoke.

"I'm not sure exactly. My pops said he only paid for a couple nights so I assume that's how long he's staying." She paused. "At least, I hope so," she added.

Karen turned towards her and looked at her with one of those knowing looks she often gave her when she was reading her mind.

"You kinda like him, don't ya?" She smirked, continuing to stare down Ann as she turned slightly pink.

"What? No," Ann retaliated. "I mean, yeah, he's attractive and all. But he's rude. Probably thinks he is better than all of us or something."

"Ohhh, Ann… you _soo_ wanna tap that," Karen laughed, sending smoke at her in the process.

Ann coughed and waved her hand to clear the air in front of her.

"Goddess, NO, Karen. I'm not you." Her words had a small sting to them, and Ann instantly regretted them.

Karen seemed not to notice. "Well," she said, taking another puff and breathing the smoke out above her, "I guess I'll have take a shot at him then." She winked over at Ann, who rolled her eyes.

"He's only staying for a couple of days, you know."

"Perfect," Karen replied, smiling and stamping out her cigarette.

* * *

><p>Ann had not encountered Cliff for the rest of the day. That night, she lay in bed thinking amongst her father's snores. She did not mean to judge the new visitor so harshly, but there was something about him that she was unnerved by. He had a succinct way of conversing, maybe, but she did not really know enough about him to form any conclusions about his character. She decided that if she saw him the following day she would try to get to know him better.<p>

She was resolute in this decision when her ears perked up to a nearby noise. At first she thought she had imagined it, but as she focused she could hear the bass thumping from some music playing upstairs. It was coming from Gray's room directly above her. She wondered at it, since he hardly ever played music, let alone loud enough that she could hear it. It grew louder still. She could hear some synthesizer, guitar, and the thin, high voice of a man singing.

After debating a moment, she got up and put on her slippers. She was a light sleeper, so she decided to go and kindly tell Gray to turn it down. As she shuffled up the stairs and toward the room, the music became louder. A slight odor that she couldn't quite place hung in the air.

She knocked twice, and got no response. She knocked again, and then opened the door a crack and poked her head inside.

"Gray?" she called out, but she did not see Gray. Instead, what she saw was Cliff relaxing on his bed, joint in hand. Instantly, her eyes widened and she slipped inside, shutting the door behind her.

_"What the hell are you doing?"_ she exclaimed over the music. Cliff looked at her calmly and took another hit.

"Relaxing. Do people in this village often enter a room uninvited?" he asked with more of an amused expression than an angry one.

"Put that out!" she continued, ignoring his statement. "And can you turn that off?" she pointed toward the small dock and iPod he had out next to him.

"What, you don't like Radiohead?" he asked, smirking. He turned the whole thing off and put the joint out in the ashtray on the table.

"I've never heard of them," she replied defensively.

She lowered her voice, feeling anxious. "But anyway, what are you doing with the... the, you know... _marijuana_?" she whispered. "That stuff is illegal, you know. Even in small villages out in the middle of nowhere."

She put her hands on her hips and tried to muster up the sternest look she possibly could. No way in hell did she want her father waking up and finding her up there amidst a cloud of pot with a total stranger.

Cliff sat up and met her eyes. She felt her heart skip a little again against her better judgment. He raised an eyebrow at her. "What, are you gonna turn me in? You've never smoked pot?" He asked it as a serious question. Suddenly she felt like a naïve child.

"No," she responded curtly, turning her head to the side and avoiding his piercing gaze. "I don't have any interest in it, and I don't think any of the other villagers do either."

"You may be surprised," he replied cooly. "Anyway, if it bothers you I won't smoke it here. It's not that big of a deal."

Ann blushed slightly. She hadn't realized he would give in so simply. She stood embarrassed for a moment, then looked around the room.

"Wait, where's Gray?" she asked, suddenly aware that it was just him there.

Cliff shrugged. "I dunno. He could be out banging some chick for all I know. Or just, y'know, out. It's like ten o'clock."

Ann felt childish again. "Yeah, well, some people go to bed early around here. We have work in the morning," she replied.

Cliff nodded. She remembered that he had already been up when she first saw him that morning and suddenly felt stupid.

"Er, well, I'll leave you alone," she said, finding the doorknob behind her with her hand. "Oh, and uh, try and get that smell out of here," she added.

He smirked. "You should loosen up a little more, you know."

She felt like yelling, but she didn't respond. Instead, she nodded good night and departed angrily from his presence for the second time that day.


	2. Conceptions

**Chapter 2**

**_Conceptions_**

The next morning, after dutifully delivering Cliff another order of toast, Ann made sure to carefully avoid him. She was still angry about the pot incident the night before and at the same time embarrassed by the fact that he thought she was too uptight. Therefore, she decided to have as little to do with him as possible before he left the following day. She happily chatted with Harris and kept herself busy in the kitchen to mask the fact that she was purposefully steering clear of him. She was not proud of it, but she simply couldn't bear the thought of speaking to him again for more than five seconds.

On the other hand, she couldn't stop thinking about him constantly. She wondered where he had come from and how he had the nerve to show up and do whatever he pleased, pissing off people who were just trying to help him. She thought about the way he had looked at her, as if he had been _trying_ to make her feel uncomfortable. If that was indeed his goal, it had worked. But it had also made her feel breathless and dizzy, and she couldn't explain it. Nor did she want to.

She thought next about Karen. She considered warning her that he was a pothead, but then she decided against it. Karen wouldn't care, would she? She wondered guiltily if Karen had ever tried pot. She remembered Cliff telling her she might be surprised about some of the villagers. Part of her still doubted that was true, yet she really wasn't sure.

A little before noon, she was shaken from her thoughts by her father. They were in need of more eggs, and so he requested that she pick some up from the chicken ranch. Ann quickly obliged. She took off her apron, washed her hands, and headed out from the inn, careful not to look over toward where Cliff had been sitting as she left.

As Ann approached the ranch, she found a ruffled Popuri chasing one of the hens in the yard. Ann couldn't help but laugh a little at the display. The pink-haired, immaculately dressed girl was running in circles with her arms outstretched, trying to lure the chicken into her arms by clucking frantically at it. She watched for a moment and then went to help her tortured friend. Together, they cornered the hen, allowing Popuri to scoop it up and quickly throw it into the coop. Once things had settled down, Popuri looked over at Ann and sighed.

"Phew, thanks Ann. Didn't think I was ever gonna catch that stupid thing." Popuri looked over at the hen and stuck out her tongue. "Anyyyway," she continued, flattening her hair and smoothing out her dress before smiling over at Ann, "what's up, Annie Fannie?" Popuri was probably the only person in town who could get away with calling her that.

She smiled back, trying not to roll her eyes. "Mmm, not much. Just stopping by for some eggs. And to say hello, of course. How's your mom?"

Popuri's mother was limited in movement after she had contracted a rare disease a couple of years after Popuri was born. Her father had left shortly thereafter to search for a cure, but had yet to return. It was a sensitive topic for her older brother, Rick, but Popuri did not seem to mind talking about it.

"Oh, you know," she said as they started making their way inside, "same ol', same ol'."

Ann greeted Lillia at the counter when they entered the ranch. Rick appeared to be out. Ann assumed he was hanging around with Karen, as per usual.

"Hello, dear," Lillia replied with a warm smile. Lillia was perhaps the sweetest person Ann knew in the village, and she had become a motherly figure to her after her own mother had passed away almost ten years back. "How have you been? Did you need some eggs?"

Ann nodded as Popuri went to grab a few cartons from their cooler. "I've been well, been keeping busy. Dad's been teaching me a lot about business lately. I didn't realize how much work went into running the inn."

Lillia smiled knowingly. "Yes, it is always more complex than it seems. I'm sure you will make a fine businesswoman though, so don't worry."

Ann thanked her and handed her the payment. She made to say goodbye, but Popuri cut her off as she handed her four cartons of eggs.

"Hey, so, who's that guy staying at the inn?" she asked, obviously burning to know.

"Oh," Ann replied, trying not to seem too uncomfortable at the question. "That's, uh, Cliff. He's just here 'til tomorrow, though..."

Popuri giggled a little at the name. "Ooh, _Cliff_. Sounds manly. I saw him briefly yesterday as I was heading back from the church. He's pretty cute."

Ann grunted in a noncommittal way. Popuri continued on with her musings.

"You know, it's too bad he is only here for one more day... I could use a little romance," she said wistfully. "Of course, Kai is back in a couple weeks for the summer… maybe something will happen with him this time." She sighed, but she looked hopeful.

Ann gave her a reassuring smile. Popuri had always taken a liking to the charming, adventurous, and handsome Kai, who only came to Mineral Town during the summers. Even Ann had to admit that he was one fine specimen of a human being. But his personality was a little too over-the-top for her, and besides, Popuri had made sure that all the girls in Mineral Town, and perhaps beyond, knew that she had a claim on him. Unfortunately for Popuri, however, Kai had yet to show any interest in starting up a relationship with her.

Popuri seemed to have gotten lost in a daydream. Ann took the opportunity to say goodbye to her and her mother and then she headed cautiously back toward the inn.

* * *

><p>Cliff seemed to be away from the inn for most of the afternoon. Ann wondered where he had gone and half of her hoped that he had packed up and left early. Yet the other part of her couldn't help wanting to see him at least one more time before he left Mineral Town, to get some type of closure, to find some kind of redeeming quality that would salvage her view of mankind. Or something like that.<p>

In the early evening, Ann began wiping down tables in preparation for the dinner rush. This was the inn's most busy time of day, for on the weekends the bar would open at eight, and they would have a steady stream of customers from then until midnight. These nights tired her out, but she loved them; beside from seeing a side of some of the villagers that she didn't get to see during the daytime, she loved the joyful atmosphere resulting from the week coming to a close.

The door opened and Ann instinctively looked up. Her panic dissipated when she noticed that it was merely a tired and sweaty Gray coming in from the blacksmith's shop. She wondered why he hadn't gone by the library to visit Mary as he usually did, but from the look of him, chalked it up to an especially bad day at work.

He trudged over to the table Ann had just finished wiping and sat down with a heavy thud.

Ann passed him a smile. "Long day?" she asked as he took off his hat and ran his fingers through his dampish hair.

He nodded. "The old man's a tyrant."

Ann often listened to Gray's complaints about his sixty-something year old grandfather, Saibara. He was the town blacksmith and had taken on Gray as an apprentice when he turned thirteen. Gray didn't seem to have the knack for it, however, and stubbornness seemed to run in the family, often causing the two to butt heads. Ann patted him consolingly on the back.

"I'm sure he's just tough on you because he sees that you have potential," she told him, even though she knew that it was probably not the case. "You'll see."

Gray grunted and seemed to be too tired to continue griping. Ann went over to the bar and filled him a cold mug of beer. She sat down at the table as she plopped it down in front of him.

"So, how is the roommate situation going?" she asked him, trying not to seem too interested in it. She couldn't help wanting to know Gray's opinion on Cliff.

He took a long sip from the mug and wiped his mouth. "Um, not too bad, really. Don't see the guy much."

Ann nodded. She recalled how Gray had been out the night before, when she had caught Cliff smoking. She wondered if Gray would have been okay with him doing that.

"Why'd you agree to let him stay in your room? We have another room next to it that's completely open, you know."

Gray looked over at her and shrugged. "I know. But it's nice to split the bill occasionally. We're both a little tight on cash," he replied. "Besides, he won't be staying much longer, from what he's told me."

"Yeah," Ann said. She thought to herself for little bit. "Well, better get back."

"Oh, yeah. Thanks for the beer."

"Don't mention it." Ann smiled at him as she got up. She hit him playfully on the back with the rag as she walked away.

* * *

><p>As the bar filled up later that evening, Ann felt a growing anxiety every time the door opened. She had gathered that Cliff was staying another night from what Gray had told her, and she knew that he had to be coming back sometime.<p>

She decided to take her mind off of him by chatting with Karen and Rick at the counter, where they normally sat on Saturday nights. It was amusing to see how much Rick tried to impress Karen. The two had been close friends since childhood, and Rick was obviously head over heels for her, but he would never formally admit it. It was hard to tell if Karen held any of the same feelings for Rick. Ann assumed that she did in her own way, but she was not tied down by him in any sense. Karen had had sex with him drunkenly on more than one occasion, which is why Ann suspected Rick was often giddily happy on Friday and Saturday nights. But she had never considered him a boyfriend and had slept with two other men, one being Harris and the other from out of town, since she had first slept with Rick. Karen was usually not very shy in disclosing these things to Ann.

By the time the bar had closed and Karen had dragged out a giggling Rick by the hand, Ann had not seen Cliff. In an odd way, she felt slightly discouraged. She figured that he had slipped in and gone upstairs while she had been distracted or in the back room washing dishes.

Her father finished counting and sorting the cash for the day, then asked Ann if she would finish the cleaning. She nodded and grabbed the dish rag. He kissed her on the forehead. "Thanks, pumpkin. You do a good job around here," he told her. She smiled up at him. They wished each other good night and then he headed into the back room.

Now that she was alone, she could not stop her mind from wandering. What was it that she wanted from Cliff? An apology? She felt as if he had somehow wounded her pride. Here she was, thinking of herself a perfectly personable and friendly person, and he had shown her that she did not always act in such a manner. She realized that she was more or less disappointed in herself, not him. _So_ he was a little different. Who was _she_ to judge? She didn't know where he had come from and what he had been through. But still, she couldn't stop feeling a little hurt as well as a little mad.

She was three quarters of the way finished with the tables when she distantly heard the door creak open. It did not register that someone was approaching her until he had walked up and stood behind her. She turned and jumped a little. There he was, staring at her keenly with his deep brown eyes, as he always seemed to be doing.

"Oh, uh, hi," she managed to get out. "Sorry, didn't see you come in."

He smiled at her. "Don't worry about it," he said. He sat down at the table. "Any chance you're still serving? I'm starving."

She was taken aback by him and his forwardness. She couldn't think of a reply, so she went into the kitchen and grabbed what she could find. She made him a turkey sandwich on rye with mayo, pickles, and lettuce. She decided in her own defiant way that he would just have to accept it, like it or not.

She brought it out to him and set it in front of him without a word. He thanked her and began stuffing it into his mouth. She shook her head and then went back to wiping the last of the tables.

"Hey," he said, in between bites. "Look, I know we didn't get off to a great start. But I would like to be friends, if that's all right with you. So, uh, maybe we could start over?"

Ann stopped and turned toward him. "What? But why? Aren't you leaving tomorrow?"

He shrugged as he finished off his sandwich. "Just an idea," he replied.

She stood, unresponsive. He took his plate and set it on the counter. Then he waved goodnight as he ran up the stairs, two at a time.


	3. Foolishness

**Chapter 3**

**_Foolishness_**

Ann had to stifle a yawn the next day at lunch. She had tossed and turned most of the night before. She had replayed the conversation with Cliff from the previous night over and over until she wasn't sure if had really even occurred. It was nothing, really. But she couldn't get over the fact that he had wanted to be _friends_. Even after she had yelled at him and he had called her uptight. And for some reason, she was irritated with herself that she felt so relieved by this.

But by the time her eyes had finally closed and she woke up the next morning, she was over it. She knew he was going to leave that day and she would probably never see him again. So it was all for naught; nothing would ever come of his proposed "friendship" anyway.

She had not seen him when she left the back room that morning, and he never came down to breakfast. She assumed he had packed up and headed out early. She was a bit bummed, but she thought it was for the better. This way, he would not take over her mind as he had the day before.

She had just finished serving Duke his lunch when she noticed Karen walk through the door. "Hey!" she called over to Ann. She was chipper despite the large amount of alcohol she had consumed the night before. Ann had never seen her with a hangover; she didn't even think Karen was capable of having them.

Ann returned her greeting and they both headed over to the counter. Ann whipped her up her favorite sandwich while Karen gossiped about the night before.

"So Rick thought just because I was drunk he'd get some," Karen told her, rolling her eyes. "I told him to go fuck himself, and he told me he'd rather fuck me. Anyway, we got into this big fight, and I'm not talking to him now."

Ann nodded as she slid the sandwich and a hard lemonade over to Karen. This was pretty normal for Karen and Rick. They often fought and then made up… or rather, Karen often became angry with Rick and henceforth ignored him, and then got over it a couple days later. She became angry easily, but she also forgave easily. Ann wished she could get over grudges like Karen did.

"Sooo, where's lover boy?" Karen continued, wiggling her eyebrows at Ann with her mouth half full of food.

"Ugh. He's NOT my lover boy," Ann chided. "And he left this morning."

"Ah. That's too bad," she said, slightly pouty.

"So did you get the chance to lay the moves on him while he was here?" Ann asked her, somewhat teasingly. She was secretly burning to find out.

Karen gave her a coy smile. "Hmm, wouldn't _you_ like to know?" she asked, making Ann blush.

"Ah geez, Kare. Just forget it..." She made to leave, but Karen grabbed her by the arm.

"Wait, wait, Ann. I was kidding. 'Course not." She gave her a genuine smile that always prevented Ann from being mad at her.

"Oh," she replied, trying to shake off her embarrassment. "Well, I mean, it would have been fine if you had. Beside the fact that it would have gotten you into an even bigger fight with Rick."

Karen rolled her eyes. "Whatever. We're in an _open_ relationship, if you even want to call it that."

Now it was Ann's turn to laugh at Karen. "Sure, Karen. It's open for _you_, maybe. _You_ can get other guys, but Rick can't really get any other girl."

Karen shrugged. They both laughed.

* * *

><p>Once lunch was finished, Doug told Ann that she could take a break in the downtime. She was cheerful, for it was a nice day out. She decided that she would visit Mary in the library and grab a cookbook that she had wanted to borrow, then perhaps go and relax at the spring. She needed to de-stress after the events of the week. So she took off her apron, fixed her bow, and then headed outside.<p>

It was getting warm. She could tell summer was approaching, and she was grateful. She liked the spring, but summer was by _far_ her favorite season. It was the season of her birthday, and it held some of her favorite events. Ann loved animals, and the summer held a great diversity of animal-related festivals. It kicked off with the beach festival on the first day, where the local dog owners would show off what their dogs could do in a frisbee contest. In less than a week was the chicken festival, which was a like a sumo match, but with hens. Competitors from out of town would stay at the inn and she would talk to them all about the outside world, their farms, and the like. On the 20th was the cow festival, which some of the more local farmers would attend to show off their best cows. Last but not least was the fireworks festival near the end of the season. She and her friends would go to the beach to watch dozens of brightly colored fireworks illuminate the sky as well as the ocean below. It was a fun event, and a great way to relax.

The thoughts of the season to come left her with a smile on her face as she was rounding the corner near the winery. As she glanced up, she saw the door of the library open up ahead. It took her a moment to register what she was seeing. When she came back to reality, her face quickly changed from complacency to shock.

It was Cliff.

She panicked; she had not been expecting to see him again and had no idea what she would say. Her mind was a blur. So seizing the opportunity, she ran into the winery and jumped behind a row of grapes. She squatted in the dust, peering through the vines. Cliff was just coming around the corner, and she could see that he was carrying a book. She squinted to see what it was, and then…

"'sup, Ann," he called. He didn't even look over at her. He just continued walking, passing the winery and heading back toward the inn.

_Shit,_ she thought. She popped her head up from the vines. She felt her skin burn red.

"_Heyyy_," was what she managed to get out. She thought she saw him smirk as he walked up to the door of the inn and went inside. She stood, dumbfounded, behind the vines. _Shit, shit, shit._

She got up and continued toward the library because she did not know what else to do. She knew she could not go back to the inn after what had just happened. She couldn't continue to stand in the vineyard until Duke came out and accused her of stealing grapes. So, instead, she walked through the library doors with her mind still whirring.

_Why_ did she think it was a good idea to hide? Of course he was going to see her… he was right in front of her! Now he would think she was rude and, well, frankly, quite stupid.

"Ann? Are you okay?" a voice squeaked from her side. Ann snapped out of it and regained her composure.

"Oh, hey Mary! Sorry, I was just, uh, zoning out there for a second," she replied.

Mary smiled politely. "How have you been? I don't have the pleasure of seeing you here often."

Ann laughed guiltily. She knew she didn't read as much as she probably should have. "Yeah, I know. Hey, why was Cliff just here?" she asked, more bluntly than she had intended.

"Oh, is that his name? I didn't get the chance to ask…" she said, pushing up her glasses. Ann knew this was because Mary was far too shy to introduce herself. "He was studying over there since the library opened." She gestured toward a table in the far corner of the room.

"Studying? Really? Studying _what_?" Ann blinked. She certainly did not think of Cliff as an academic.

"Hmm... Particle physics," she said, looking thoughtful. "I don't think anyone here has even opened the one book we had on it before. He asked if he could check it out and I was so surprised that I told him he could keep it."

Ann nodded. She figured that that was the book he had been carrying when she saw him. She blushed again.

"Oh," Ann said, clearing her throat. "Um, anyway, do you have that cookbook we were talking about before? The summer recipe book?"

Mary nodded and went to grab the book from a nearby shelf. She returned and handed it to Ann. "Keep it for as long as you'd like," she grinned. "As long as you make me the torte on page five. It looks delicious."

* * *

><p>Ann couldn't stop thinking about how idiotic she was for the rest of the day. When she was alone she would slap herself in the forehead and mutter, "stupid, stupid, stupid!" And then she would walk back out into the inn and smile at the dinner customers as if nothing had happened. It was fortunate that Cliff was not among them, for she probably would have been too embarrassed to do anything if he had been.<p>

She tried to make her mind remain blank, but that seemed impossible. There were too many questions she had. Why hadn't he left? Why was he reading a physics book? And why was he turning her into the biggest moron ever? She thought back to her behavior again and felt like crying.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she did not see Duke backing up his chair as she passed by with a tray full of food. She caught the leg of it with her foot and stumbled, sending the tray of spaghetti and salad flying. Most of it landed on Manna, who immediately stood up and began screaming. "Oh my god! This was my favorite dress! It's all over it! I can't believe she just….Duke, you idiot! Do something!" Duke looked over at Ann, who was standing plastered to the spot. He reddened and she could see the veins in his forehead start to pop out.

"You foolish girl! Are you blind? Couldn't you see my chair? I want you to pay for my wife's dress… and a free meal! I've never seen such horrible service. God, you're so…"

"That's enough, Duke," Doug said, stepping between his daughter and the half-drunk winery owner. "It was an accident. Look, we'll clean this up and you'll be reimbursed. Now please, just sit down and stop yelling at my daughter."

Duke looked as if he were about to explode, but Doug's gaze was so fierce that he sat down.

Doug turned to Ann. She bent her head in shame.

"Look, don't listen to Duke," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder and walking her toward the kitchen. "He's an idiot who can't hold his liquor, ironically enough," he mumbled. "Now let's clean this up, and then I want you to go into the back room and take it easy. I can handle the rest of the evening."

She nodded and went to get a dustpan and broom. She had never dropped anything before in all the time she had been serving at the inn. _Ever_. And she had never been yelled at by one of the villagers like that. She was humiliated.

She quietly swept up the broken dishes and the strewn lettuce and noodles as the inn settled back down. Manna had left to try and clean the rest of the food off of her and Duke sat drinking irritably at the counter. She could see her father talking to him, trying to reason with him. She felt her eyes burn. She had never been so embarrassed in her entire life.

She finished cleaning up the mess and then went into the back room and threw off her stained apron. She took a shower to get the smell of marinara sauce from her hair and then changed into some pajamas. She laid on top of her bed. She felt some tears slip from her eyes.

She laid there for what seemed like eternity until she heard her father come in. He was too forgiving of her. She knew he probably wanted to talk, but she didn't feel like it. She pretended to be asleep. Soon he had gotten ready for bed and had turned the lights out. Once she could hear his snores, Ann turned over. She stared up toward the ceiling in the dark. She could hear the soft hum of music coming from upstairs again, yet this time more muffled.

She couldn't stand laying there any longer. She quietly slipped out of bed and into the now darkened inn. She crept upstairs and stood outside the door for a moment. And then she knocked.

"Come in," a voice called. Ann slid open the door and stuck her head in. Cliff looked up at her. She thought she noticed a hint of surprise in his eyes for a split second. But then he smiled at her as if it was the most natural thing that she was standing in his doorway. He was wearing a ragged t-shirt and some flannel pajama bottoms, and she noticed that Gray was gone again.

"Hi," he said. "How's it goin'?"

"I just…" she said, not knowing exactly where she was headed with it. "Look, uh, I just wanted to apologize for earlier. You know, in the vines." She looked at her feet.

"It's cool," he said.

She was surprised again at how easily he accepted her apology.

"No, no it's not," she continued, now slipping inside the room and closing the door. "Look, I was an idiot. I guess I was shocked to see you still here. I thought you were leaving today."

"Oh. Well I was going to. But then I decided to stay a little longer... I like it here." He paused. "Why, is that not allowed?"

She looked up at him and he smiled. It made his gaze less severe and she relaxed a bit more. She let out a small laugh.

"No, no, it's fine, of course," she replied. "I mean, as long as you pay for the room."

He smiled. "Yeah, I already took care of it with your dad. Who didn't seem too happy about it, by he way."

She felt awkward. But then she saw the physics book lying open on the bed and took the opportunity to change the subject.

"So, uh, what are you reading about?" she asked, pointing toward the book.

He glanced over at it. "Oh, yeah. I'm reading on the whole holism vs. reductionism debate. Among matter, that is. Crazy stuff."

She nodded even though she had no idea what he was talking about it. "I see," she replied.

"I find it very interesting. Two very different viewpoints but both could be equally valid. And either could change the way we see the world." He laughed, looking slightly embarrassed. "I dunno. I like to read about various things. Take into account various perspectives before choosing my own, you know?"

She nodded. She was impressed, but she tried not to show it. "Is that why you travel around so much?" she asked.

He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess that's part of it."

She smiled at him. She had started to feel a bit better.

It was silent and she suddenly became aware that she was staring at him, and the fact that they were both in their pajamas and her hair was uncombed. She turned away.

"Well, anyway," she began, putting her hand on the doorknob, "sorry again about earlier. I was an idiot, really. Try not to judge me too much based on these past few days…"

He smiled good-naturedly. "Oh, I've already judged you."

She smirked and rolled her eyes. "Good night," she said.

"Night," he replied.

And with that, she slipped out of the room and closed the door.


	4. Fireworks

**Chapter 4**

_**Fireworks**_

Two days later, Ann was feeling torn. Now that she knew Cliff was staying at the inn longer than she had initially expected, thoughts of trying to get to know him better were floating around her mind. His faults had lessened in her eyes since the first day she had met him, but above all, she was intrigued by the fact that her first impression of him was slowly crumbling. The previous day she had seen him walking out of the inn, physics book in hand, and he had given her a smile and a subtle nod of the head as he passed. She was kept busy by customers that day and did not see him return to the inn at all, but the thought of him was ever present in her mind.

The reason she so felt divided about wanting to talk to Cliff was because her father obviously did not think well of him. In fact, he had spoken poorly of him the night before as they had been going to bed, and he had warned Ann that she should stay away from the boy.

"I don't trust him," is what her father had said.

"Aren't you the one teaching me to not judge people? To be friendly and hospitable toward all of our customers?" she had replied, trying not to sound too defensive.

"Yes, I've told you that, I know." He sighed. "It's just a father's protective nature, I guess," he told her. "Besides, I can't help wondering why he came here. He hasn't attempted to find work. I'm worried he is dealing drugs or robbing people and then skipping town."

Ann was taken aback. "He wouldn't do that," she said, somewhat sharply. Then she checked herself. "I mean, it doesn't seem like he would…"

Doug looked suddenly stern. "You don't know the world like I do, pumpkin. People in the city are greedy and selfish, and some are looking for whatever will get them their next fix. And some… some are just plain cruel." Ann thought she could hear his voice waver slightly as he said this. He had grown up in a large city, and he was reserved about his past. She knew his childhood had been rough. He had moved to Mineral Town after marrying Ann's mother in their late twenties, and had never looked back.

Ann thought about mentioning that Cliff was studying physics, but decided against it. Her father would probably find a way to spin it as him preparing to build a bomb or something. Ann knew that was highly unlikely, but she didn't want to get into it anyway. So she had dropped the subject and decided to obey her father's wishes. That didn't stop her from thinking about him, though. In fact, it made her think about him even more, if that was at all possible.

The afternoon was passing by slowly. She had not seen Cliff yet that day and thought it was for the better, since it was going to be hard to avoid him without seeming rude. She had just finished clearing the dishes from a recently deserted table when Gray came trudging down the stairs in a worn out Pink Floyd shirt and some plaid pajama bottoms. It was his day off, and he always spent it in as relaxing a manner as possible.

She called to him in greeting as he let out a big yawn and scratched the back of his head, where he had a substantial cowlick. He always looked different to her without his cap on, like he was more accessible or something. When he wore his hat, he kept it pulled down so low that it was difficult to see his eyes.

She brought him his usual meal of steak and potatoes. She asked him how he was and he replied that he was fine. He didn't seem to be in the mood for talking, which was all right, since Ann figured he had just woken up. She turned to go into the kitchen when she stopped and turned to him with a sudden question.

"Hey, so where have you been at night?" she asked before she could stop herself. "I mean, I just noticed that I haven't seen you come in lately."

His ears reddened, and she knew she had ventured into awkward territory. She wished she hadn't said anything.

"Oh, uh… well, I've just… been…" he answered slowly, searching for an excuse.

"Sorry, Gray. Forget it, I didn't mean to pry…" she blushed and walked off, leaving a heavily embarrassed Gray to his food.

She now knew without a doubt that he had been seeing Mary at night. So perhaps Cliff had been right about him "banging some chick"… although Ann preferred not to think of it in such vulgar terms. She had to admit that she was shocked that Mary hadn't mentioned anything to her, but when she thought about it, Mary was shy and she was far more discreet than Karen. And maybe they weren't doing it. Maybe they were reading each other poems and drinking wine or other stuff Ann could see them doing.

She smiled to herself as she went back to work.

* * *

><p>The following days passed by quickly, and left her with very little time to even think about Cliff. She was hit full force with a rush of out-of-towners coming in for the summer festivals. She had gained a subtle tan from the beach day festival, and had been happy to welcome back the traveling Kai, who would open his snack shop on the beach for the season. He was sleeping in the third bed in Cliff's and Gray's room due to the limited space, but fortunately none of the three seemed to mind. As far as she could tell, none of them were ever really in the room at the same time, except late at night when they would go to bed.<p>

She had seen Cliff for brief moments of time during the day, usually for breakfast, and they had given friendly hellos to each other when they passed during the day. She had stuck to small talk and kept their interactions short, especially when she could feel the watchful gaze of her father on her back. She had casually looked around for Cliff at beach day and the chicken festival the following week, but he was nowhere to be seen. She wondered if he didn't know about the festivals or if he simply didn't care to attend them. Either way, she tried not to let herself get too wrapped up in the reason.

Before she knew it, the summer was half over. She had just finished washing the last of the lunch dishes when her father told her she could take a break until dinner. Business at the inn had begun to slow down again since the last of the chicken festival contenders had left and the cow festival participants were yet to come. She let out a deep breath and hung up her apron. She figured she could get a quick nap in before she would have to start preparing for dinner, so she made her way toward the back room. She stopped short when she saw Cliff walking across the room and out of the inn. He hadn't noticed her.

She thought for a moment and then changed her path. She was curious as to where he had been going during the day, because neither Karen, Mary, nor Popuri had mentioned seeing him around. Elli had told her she had only ever seen him once before, and even then he had just been walking back toward the inn. If he _was_ doing something illegal, she wanted to know. And if he wasn't, she wanted to know even more. So she waited for a moment and then crept out the door behind him. After a moment of looking around she spotted him heading into the town square.

She kept her distance. He had cut through the square into the upper part of town, passing the gossiping group of women who hurriedly discussed him after he passed. Ann made her way casually into the square, gave them a cheerful hello, and pretended she was on her way to visit Karen at the supermarket.

After she waved goodbye to the ladies, she quickened her pace so that she could get Cliff back in sight. She turned the corner and glanced over just in time to see him entering the church. Her mind whirred.

_Wait… the church? Seriously?_ she thought to herself. There was no way he was doing anything illegal in there, unless he was really _that_ low of a person.

She hardly had time to collect her thoughts when Kai came out of the supermarket carrying a large bag of groceries and nearly barreled into her.

"Oh, hey!" he said. "Sorry, Ann, didn't see you there!"

She laughed apologetically. "My fault, Kai." She tried not to appear as if she had just been stalking anyone. "Anyway, how are you? How's the shop?"

"Uh, well… not too great, actually." He smiled, despite his obvious disappointment. He always appeared cheerful, no matter what. "I mean with your guys' food, how can I compete? I'm not gonna be in business for long at this rate!"

She laughed awkwardly.

"Well, Popuri seems like a loyal customer at least," she replied, trying to give a small plug for her friend.

"Oh, hah, yeah, she is." He had a smile plastered on his face that told her Popuri was not so high on the list of people he wanted to see everyday. She felt a twinge of sympathy for Popuri. The girl meant well, but she tried too hard.

Ann decided to change the subject and asked if he was getting along fine with Cliff.

"Oh, yeah. I mean I hardly ever see him. I've talked to him a couple times though. Strange dude," he said, thoughtfully. "Nice, but strange. Doesn't talk about himself much. Or his past."

Ann wondered at this. She exchanged a few more pleasantries with Kai before they said goodbye and parted ways.

* * *

><p>Ann continued to think about what Cliff was doing at the church everyday throughout the week. Was he religious? He hadn't given off that impression, but she had never really asked him so she didn't know. Perhaps he was working there. Although that didn't seem likely, as Ann didn't think Carter, the pastor, even received a salary. She eventually figured that he would go there to study because it was a quiet place. She imagined that Gray's constant visits to the library would be too distracting for him to study there, and he probably didn't want to be in the way if he and Mary were getting it on all the time anyway.<p>

She found herself wondering if he would be at the cow festival. But the day came and went without Cliff making an appearance. Ann had enjoyed the festival less this year because she had spent most of it distracted by her thoughts of him. She didn't even get to see or pet all of the cows before they were judged and a winner had been announced.

Mostly she had been mulling over an idea in her head that made her feel queasy and nervous but at the same time, strangely energetic. The fireworks festival was only in a couple of days, and she was thinking that maybe she would ask him to go. Her father nor any of the other town adults ever went, so she wouldn't have to deal with his judgement about it as long as he didn't find out. She also figured that most of her girl friends would be going with dates that year, and she didn't feel like being the only one going solo.

She found Gray in the morning before he left for work.

"Hey," she began casually, sitting down at the table with him. "Ready for a good day of work?"

He grunted as he spooned some oatmeal into his mouth.

"That excited, huh?" she asked.

He nodded unenthusiastically. She paused before she went on.

"Soo, are you going to the fireworks festival tomorrow?" she asked him. She thought she saw him redden a bit, but it was hard to tell under his cap.

"Uh, I guess so…" he replied. "I mean, I was thinking about it."

"That's cool," she said. "I think I'll be there too. Do you know if Kai is going? Or Cliff?"

"Hmmm, dunno. Haven't talked to them about it," he responded. This was the answer Ann expected, but she still felt disheartened.

"I see. Well, just wondering." Gray finished his oatmeal, and she grabbed the bowl as they both stood up. "Have a good day at work, yeah?" She smiled at him reassuringly. He groaned as he shuffled out.

Karen showed up later that day for lunch. She took the opportunity to talk to her about it, as well as see if Karen was going with someone.

"Yeah, I'm dragging Rick along with me," she replied. Karen had made up with Rick a couple weeks back. "I mean, it's kinda nice. He's like a built-in date." She laughed.

"Well, you're lucky," Ann responded. "It's not so easy for the rest of us." She told Karen about the conversation she had had with Kai earlier that week, and how she thought Kai was annoyed with Popuri.

"Hmm, interesting," Karen said, with her eyebrows peaked. "You think she is going to hang around him at the festival, though?"

"Well of course, if he shows up. And he usually does." Ann and Karen both smiled and shook their heads. "Poor Popuri. But hey, at least she has the courage to go with someone."

Karen dropped her sandwich and leaned across the counter toward Ann. "Oooh, I _knew_ you liked Cliff," she said with a wide smile. Ann shushed her.

"I didn't say that," Ann scolded, turning her head away from the beaming Karen. "I'm just saying, I asked Gray if he was going and he said he was, so he and Mary will be together… and then I'm sure Elli will be there with the doc." Both girls knew that ever since Elli had started working at the clinic, she had been enamored with the town physician, Dr. Trent. He was obviously head over heels for her as well, and she made sure to keep him on a tight leash.

"So," Ann continued, "I will be there all awkwardly by myself. At least if Cliff is there, I'll have someone to talk to."

Karen looked skeptical. "Yeah, all right. So why don't you just _ask_ him?"

Ann leaned on the counter and put her head in her hands. "Because then it will _seem_ like it's a date."

"God, Ann, you're hopeless," Karen said, shaking her head. "Look, if he's there, he's there. If not, then just sit with me and Rick. It's not like I'm going to let him be all over me. In fact, I'll probably be on more of a date with you than him." She smirked.

Ann gave in. "Okay, fine…"

Karen patted her on the arm reassuringly. "You over think things _waaay_ too much," she said. "But don't worry, I still love ya."

* * *

><p>The day of the fireworks festival arrived, and Ann couldn't help fidgeting all day. She finished her work in a daze and then went to wash up and get ready for the evening. After she showered, she got dressed in a nicer blouse than she usually wore and some jeans. She braided her hair and then tied in her bow. She considered putting on make-up even, but then nixed the idea. She didn't want to look as if she were trying too hard.<p>

At a quarter to six she said goodbye to her father and headed out toward the beach. After a couple of steps outside the inn, Gray ran up behind her.

"Hey Ann, wait up!" he called. She could see that he was dressed nicely compared to his normal attire as well. His hair was combed as neatly as it could possibly be, although he still had a few strands sticking up in the back. He was wearing a button-up, navy blue collared shirt that made his light blue eyes stand out even more than usual. He was also wearing jeans, but he had put on a belt with an anvil for a buckle. She complimented him on it.

"Heh, thanks," he responded.

"So I'm sure Mary is going to look nice," she told him as they walked on. "And I bet she is happy you're coming."

He blushed. "Oh, really? You think so?"

"Yeah. It seems like more of the boys are going this year," she said.

He nodded and continued looking embarrassed. They walked on silently until they reached the beach.

Upon arriving, Ann immediately searched the sand for Cliff. She saw that Kai was already there, sitting on the bench near his shop, and Popuri was buzzing around him happily. Rick and Karen were sitting at the end of the pier with their feet dangling in the water. Elli and Trent were relaxing on a beach towel along the shore, and Elli was leaning on him comfortably. Her heart dropped. She had started to really get her hopes up, but he wasn't there. She felt stupid for worrying about it so much, and for dressing up. Why had she thought he might be there when he had never shown up to a festival before? _I should have just asked him_, she thought.

Just then, Mary came up and greeted her and Gray. She looked very lovely in a light green dress, and her hair was curled. Ann told her hello and then excused herself, heading toward Karen and Rick on the dock.

"Well, see ya. Have fun," she told them, shooting Gray a wink as she trudged off through the sand.

She walked to the edge of the pier and sat down next to Karen. She greeted them and Rick gave her an almost menacing look, which Ann ignored. She leaned over and whispered to Karen, "Well, he's a no-show. As expected."

Karen frowned and leaned her head on her shoulder. Ann was glad she didn't tease her or make fun of her. Karen knew how to be sentimental when Ann really needed her to be. She was glad to have her as a best friend.

Soon the fireworks started up. The first one was a dazzling array of purple and orange and red, and it filled the entire sky and illuminated the ocean. Ann loved the view from the beach. Despite the loud boom of the explosion and the brightness of the fireworks, she found them to be very relaxing. As Karen's head lifted up off her shoulder, Ann rested her chin on her knees. There was a firework in the shape of a star, two rocket-like ones, then a glittery green one. After that, they started melding into one polymorphic blend of colors.

She had just about forgotten that she was sitting on the pier on the beach and that she was in a tangible, physical place when she felt someone sit down beside her.

"Did I miss any good ones?"

She lifted her head up and looked over. Cliff was there, smirking at her.

She was dumbfounded. "Oh, uh, not really," she said after regaining her composure.

Karen had nudged Ann playfully in the side. Ann smiled and looked back up at the firework display. Her heart was pounding and she didn't know what else to do but continue watching the show.

"Damn it, Rick!" Karen shouted suddenly after a couple minutes, pulling her arm away from him forcefully. "How many times do I have to tell you not to do that!"

She and Rick bickered for a moment. Ann and Cliff looked at each other, smiling slightly. Then Karen stood up in a huff. "I'm leaving," she said. Rick got up as well and tried to apologize.

But Karen wouldn't have it. She stormed off, looking back to give Ann a quick wink as Rick chased after her.

Ann was all too aware now that she was sitting alone with Cliff, and that his arm was pressed ever-so-slightly against her knee. She still didn't know what to say, so she didn't say anything. Neither did he. They watched the fireworks continue to light up the sky until they ended in a remarkable display of every different color and shape that they had seen earlier.

And then it was silent. They sat there, still looking up at the sky, as if another one would pop up at any moment.

After a couple minutes, which seemed like eternity to Ann, Cliff stood up. She looked up at him and he offered his hands to her. She took them and he pulled her onto her feet.

"They were beautiful," he said, finally breaking the silence. "The reflections made them look twice their size."

She nodded. She still couldn't find any words to say to him that wouldn't make her sound like an idiot.

"So, want to go?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied. She kind of wanted to stay there longer, but since she couldn't find any excuse to offer, they turned and walked off of the pier.

"Do you know what would have made them even better?" he continued as they were walking over the sand, the last two remaining on the beach.

Ann could feel herself redden, and was glad that it was dark. Was he going to say something romantic? She didn't know how she would respond to that, and she felt a slow panic start to seep into her bloodstream.

"If we were totally stoned," was what he said.

She looked at him incredulously.

"Don't look so shocked," he said, laughing at her. "You may like it if you tried it."

She felt her heart slow down and her temperature return to normal.

"I don't know how you can be so forthright about things," she told him, shaking her head and looking down at the path in front of them.

"I dunno." He shrugged. "Guess that's just how I've always been."

"I wish I could be more like that," she admitted, feeling braver than she had been feeling all night. She looked over at him.

He smiled. "Hmm, well it isn't about wishing, really, but doing. You just have to not think about it so much. Don't worry about if it's going to make someone uncomfortable or not… you know?"

"Yeah, well easy for you to say," she said laughingly. Then she became serious. "I can't do that though. I feel, I dunno... pressured, I guess. By the people here. But mostly by my father," she said. She was feeling honest. He made her feel like she had to be, for some reason.

He nodded. "I can understand that. But I think you should live your own way," he told her, looking at her with that same penetrating stare that always made her feel insecure and exposed.

She was visibly angry at that, and he could tell.

"No, no," he said quickly, before she could yell at him. "I didn't mean that it like that. I just meant…. well, that's just what I live by, I guess."

They had reached the inn and stopped walking. Ann's brow was furrowed in thought. She wanted to stay there talking to him for the rest of the night. She had a lot that she wanted to ask him, about why he was going to the church, why he had been traveling around, why he hadn't yet left Mineral Town.

"Well, thanks for letting me watch with you," he said, shaking her out of her thoughts.

"Wait, did I have a choice?" she teased, smiling at him now.

"Nope, not really," he replied, grinning back at her. They looked at each other for a moment, and for once she didn't drop her gaze. She didn't know what to think about him or the night, and she had no idea what to do next. She had no idea what she _wanted_ to do next.

Fortunately, he made the decision for her. He dropped his stare and then opened the door to the inn, stepping back and gesturing for her to enter. After a moment she obliged and walked inside. Her father had apparently already gone to bed and was not in the front of the inn, and she was grateful for that.

Cliff waved to her as he went up the stairs two at a time. She waved back, and gave him a slight smile. And then she headed toward her room, her mind too full to think.


	5. Weakness

**Chapter 5**

**_Weakness_**

The day after the Fireworks festival, Ann kept catching herself smiling for no particular reason. She knew nothing major had happened between her and Cliff the night before, but at the same time, a lot had changed. At least, a lot had changed for her. She suddenly felt more comfortable about wanting to talk to him, like she could say things to him and he wouldn't necessarily judge her for them. In fact, she wanted to talk to him pretty much all the time. She was constantly looking toward the inn door whenever it opened during the day, hoping that he would walk through. So far, he hadn't.

She had just taken the trash out to the dumpster behind the inn and walked back into the kitchen when her dad walked up to her.

"Hi, daddy," she smiled, cheerful toward him despite the fact that he was the last remaining reason she had for staying away from Cliff.

"Hey, pumpkin," he said, returning her grin. "Want to take a break?"

"A break? But it's right before the evening rush," she told him, furrowing her brow in confusion.

He laughed, grabbing her by the shoulder, turning her around, and walking her out of the kitchen. "Not tonight," he replied, as he led her into the main room where Karen, Kai, and Gray were gathered around a beautifully decorated birthday cake.

Ann turned to Doug with an eyebrow raised. "I thought I told you not to do anything for my birthday this year," she teased, smiling nonetheless.

"I know, I know," he said, hugging her. "It's just you worked so hard on the actual day last week that you deserve some sort of a celebration."

"Yeah, and you didn't want to keep us from your dad's cake, did you?" Karen called out. Kai and Gray both chuckled.

Ann shook her head as she and her father joined them at the table. They sang happy birthday to her, Gray's and Kai's voices slightly off key and Karen's beautiful soprano voice overshadowing them all. Then Doug cut the cake and served them each a piece. It was red velvet, Ann's favorite, and her father had topped it with a rich white cream and strawberries. It was, in one word, divine.

After the five of them had second helpings, her father passed her a present.

"Dad, seriously?" she said, taking the box from him.

Ann never expected anything for her birthday, nor did she care much for receiving a lot of attention, but she was always happy when her dad and her close friends were around.

"Go on then, open it," he said, coaxing her. She stuck her tongue out at him as she started unwrapping it.

Inside the box was a beautifully hand-painted tea kettle, along with a set of matching saucers and cups.

"Dad, they're gorgeous," she said, setting down the box and kissing him on the cheek.

He grinned. "They were your mother's," he said, watching her as her eyes widened and she went back to studying the design. "She made them when we had first started dating. I wrote grandma to have her send them from the city."

Ann tried not to tear up. "Thanks, Dad. I love them," she said.

Karen diffused the emotional moment by passing Ann her own poorly wrapped present.

"Sorry," she chuckled. "I usually have my mom gift wrap things, but she was out."

Ann chuckled to herself and opened it, revealing a tiny silver flute.

"Cool! Thanks, Kare!" she said.

"And there's a bottle of wine with your name on it for later," she mumbled in her ear as Ann hugged her.

Next, Kai slid over his gift, looking embarrassed. "Sorry, it's not much," he laughed.

When she unwrapped it she discovered it was a nicely-bound dessert cook book.

"Those aren't my secret recipes, of course," he teased. "We can't have you completely shutting me out of business now, can we?"

She laughed as she gave him a quick hug and thanked him.

They instinctively turned to Gray, and he blushed.

"I, uh… well, I didn't get a chance to…" he mumbled, embarrassed.

Ann put on a chipper smile and touched his shoulder. "Gray, it's totally fine… you didn't have to get me anything! Thanks just for being here, I mean it," she said, smiling around at everyone.

Just then, the door of the inn opened.

"We're closed," her father said, turning around to face the customer.

It was Cliff.

"Oh, sorry, I was just—" he replied mid-step, observing the party. "—coming back for the evening," he finished. "Whose birthday?"

Karen looked over at Ann, who seemed incapable of saying anything at the moment, and answered him.

"It was Ann's here on the seventeenth," she smirked. "But we just now got around to celebrating it."

"Oh, well," he said, walking toward the stairs now. "Don't let me interrupt. Happy belated birthday, Ann," he said, giving her a small grin. Then he went up the stairs and into his room.

Doug didn't remark on Cliff's entrance. After a moment had passed, he stood up and clapped Ann on the back.

"Well, Pumpkin, I hope you've had a good non-birthday birthday party," he said.

She regained her composure and smiled up at him. "Thanks, Dad, I did."

He kissed her on the top of the head and told her she had the rest of the night off. Then he gathered their dishes and headed into the kitchen.

Kai stood up, telling Ann that he needed to go reopen the shop, and gave her a final happy birthday. Karen did the same, hugging her friend before she left. Gray mumbled something about going somewhere as well, and gave her a sheepish smile as he headed out of the inn.

Ann stood for a moment in the empty inn, thinking. Then she turned and headed for the stairs.

* * *

><p>After the party, Ann had apologized to Cliff for not inviting him, explaining that she didn't even know about it herself, and he had forgiven her as easily as always. She ended up spending the rest of the evening in his room talking to him about various things: the world, ethics, learning, the weird kappa in the mountain lake. After that it became a nightly ritual; after she had finished working at night she would tell her father that she was going to Karen's, or cleaning the kitchen, or going for a nightly walk. Once he was in the back room getting ready for bed for the night, she would sneak to Cliff's room to continue their conversations. When the bar was open on the last weekend of the season, he came down and had a beer alongside Karen, Kai, and Gray. Kai was leaving the following day and they all toasted to his safe travels.<p>

Autumn hit Mineral Town with an abundance of colors. The leaves of the trees were a vivid display of red, yellow, and orange; deep blue toy flowers littered the small window gardens along the streets. Indigo grasses were growing wild in the mountains, along with a number of berries and mushrooms to be collected. The autumn was full of rich ingredients for the inn, and her father had already spent the first few days cooking up a multitude of dishes, which attracted several of the town residents.

On the third, some of the town residents gathered at the church for the annual music festival. Each year the girls, minus Popuri, who had always stated that she was musically disinclined, put on a small performance. Ann and Elli would play the flute, while Mary played the organ and Karen sang. Ann enjoyed the festival very much, and she was looking forward to playing the new flute that Karen had given her. Cliff was not there, which she thought was a good thing, since she felt an inexplicable sense of unease when she thought of performing in front of him.

The performance went without a hitch, except for a moment when Ann played a lower note than she had intended. It was not dissonant, however, and she didn't think anyone noticed. After the festival, she warmly thanked the villagers who came up and told her what a wonderful job they had all done, and then waited until Pastor Carter approached her with his regards. She thanked him, and then subtly noted that she thought Cliff would have been there, since he spent so much time in the church.

Carter furrowed his brow.

"Cliff, hm," he said, apparently trying to find the right wording. "An interesting boy. Do you talk to him much?"

Ann blushed. "Sometimes, I guess," she replied. "He is staying at the inn, so…" Her voice trailed off.

Carter looked at her seriously. "Between you and me, Ann," he started, lowering his voice, "Cliff seems to be very troubled by something. He just sits over in that pew all day, deep in thought." He gestured to the pew at the front of the church. "I haven't gotten more than a few words out from him for an entire season. But if he is talking to you," he continued, looking at Ann in the eyes, "please, by all means, be a friend to him. I have the feeling he is in need of great comfort."

Ann felt taken aback, but she agreed, and told him that she would try and be there for him.

Carter smiled and the conversation lightened. He told her she had sounded wonderful once more, and then took his leave.

Ann spent the rest of the night lost in thought.

* * *

><p>Two days later was the anniversary of Ann's mother's death. It was a sad day for Ann, of course, and she could feel the heaviness on her heart from the moment she woke. But it never seemed to compare with the sorrow that her father endured on that day, and it was the one day a year that he would withdraw completely from the outside world. This year marked the tenth year since she had passed away. When Ann thought about it, it seemed as if hardly any time had passed at all.<p>

The night before, her father had asked her if she could run the inn by herself the next day. He told her that he thought that she was ready, and it would be good experience for when she would finally take over the inn herself. But she could see the pain in his eyes and knew that he really wanted to be alone, and had only put up with working on the anniversary in previous years because Ann couldn't have handled it. A part of her still felt overwhelmed at the idea, but she had agreed.

He had left to Mother's Hill early that morning, taking with him a bag full of food and, she presumed, letters and photos that he kept in a drawer near his bed. He had kissed her silently on the head as he left, and he had not said a word to her. As the door closed behind him, she felt the full responsibility of running the place hit her. How was she ever going to pull this off?

The morning saw its usual show of customers, and she rushed back and forth from the kitchen, taking people's orders and making sure nothing in the kitchen burned. It took awhile before Gray made his appearance downstairs, and she could tell that he had overslept. He was still buckling his belt when she noticed him.

"Oh! Gray, shit, I completely forgot to start your eggs," she scrambled, already making way to the kitchen. He let go of his buckle and hurried up to her, grabbing her by the elbow.

"Whoa, hey now, Ann. First of all, I've never heard _that_ word out of you, and, secondly," he paused, now letting go of her as she had turned to face him. "I don't need the eggs, I'm late anyway." He glanced around for a moment as he finished with his belt. "Where's Doug?"

Tears sprang instantly into Ann's eyes, and Gray realized his mistake.

"Oh," he started, looking uncomfortable. Then he took on a concerned look. "Hey, let me take the day off, I can help you out," he offered, placing a hand awkwardly on her shoulder. "Seriously, it'd be better than working with that old lunatic. In fact, it'd be like a vacation." He gave her a cheesy smile that made her feel somewhat better.

But she knew that Saibara would give Gray a hard time if he missed work. As she opened her mouth to protest, she was suddenly interrupted.

"I can help," a voice said from behind Gray. Ann glanced around to see Cliff at the bottom of the stairs, a neutral expression on his face. He walked over to where the pair stood, and looked straight at Ann. She felt a shiver go down her spine.

"Seriously, guys, thanks, but you don't need to-" she began, but she was cut off again.

"Hah, acting proud is cute and all, but really, it's not a problem. It's not like I have a job to get to, anyway," Cliff said, and Ann thought she could see something flash through Gray's eyes.

"I know the place better," Gray protested.

"But won't the old man punish you?" Cliff replied, his expression still calm and composed.

She could feel Gray tense up as he tried desperately to think of a response. Ann nearly rolled her eyes. Guys could be stubborn when it came to helping out. She figured it had something to do with being the man of the house.

"Look, Gray, he's right," she told him, giving him a grateful look. "Thanks for the offer, but I don't want Saibara to lay into you for missing work. It makes you grumpy, and then _I_ have to deal with it." She smiled to let him know she meant it in a friendly way. Then she turned to Cliff. "If it really is no trouble to you, I could use some help with the cleaning. Particularly the dishes." She waited to see if his offer still stood when it came to scraping mushy food off of plates. However his resolution did not seem to waver, and he nodded before heading into the kitchen.

"All right then," Gray said with some hesitation. "See you later, Ann." She could sense that he was a little angry with her, but he turned and in a moment was out the door.

The rest of the morning and in the early afternoon, Cliff and Ann ran the inn like a well-oiled machine. It was still more than her usual workload, however, and she didn't even have the time to entertain thoughts about her mother or the fact that Cliff was being so generous toward her. It wasn't until early evening, after they had cleaned up the inn and were preparing for dinner that exhaustion began to set in.

Duke and Manna had arrived early, and Ann had noticed that Duke was already in a foul mood from the long day of harvesting grapes. She had taken their orders and had set about getting the ingredients ready to cook when Karen walked into the kitchen. She took one quick, surprised look at Cliff and then pulled Ann aside.

"How ya holding up, babe?" she asked her quietly, resting an affectionate hand on her upper arm.

"I'm fine, Kare. Thanks. My dad took the day off," she told her, and Karen's eyes widened slightly in understanding.

"Ohh, so that explains it," she remarked, tilting her head toward Cliff, who was still busily washing dishes in the corner.

Ann half-expected her to say something about thinking that she had enslaved him for sexual favors, but she refrained, possibly because he was in the room, or because of what day it was.

Regardless, Karen's look turned serious.

"Hey, I know you're busy right now, but save time for me later, k?" she asked, shooting a cautious look at Cliff. "I have something I need to talk to you about."

Ann had no idea what she could be referring to, but told her that she could talk to her at closing time. Karen gave her a friendly squeeze and headed back to the store. Ann thought about it as she cooked. Was it a problem with her parents? Jeff often took ill during the fall, when business was booming. Or perhaps it was Rick. Or—she felt a lurch in her stomach— she had discovered something about Cliff. She had noted how she was careful not to let Cliff overhear her.

She pondered this as she carried the meals out to Duke and Manna. She had no sooner set down the food when Duke started yelling at her.

"Girl, this _isn't_ what I ordered," he snarled, shoving the bowl of stew back into her hands. "I told you _no _onions and I CLEARLY smell onions!"

Ann's thoughts departed at once, and she looked down at the bowl. She mentally cursed herself. She knew he was adamant about no onions, and yet she had absentmindedly thrown them in. Now she would have to redo the whole thing. She mumbled an apology and started toward the kitchen. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Cliff had made his way out to see what the commotion was about, and she felt doubly embarrassed.

For the second time that day, tears began to fill her eyes, and this time she was in danger of not holding them back. As soon as she had passed Cliff and entered the kitchen she threw the whole bowl in the sink. Tears began to slide down her face unrestrainedly. A small sob escaped her lips. She leaned against the counter and tried to collect herself before Cliff came back. She could hear him reasoning with the man from the dining area.

After a couple of minutes, she heard his steps making their way back to the kitchen. "Duke's a dickwad," he told her as he walked in. She tried to respond, but instead burst back into tears. He looked taken aback at her strong reaction to Duke's criticism. She suddenly realized that he had no idea why she was so upset, and she felt idiotic.

"I k-know that, but that's not what is b-bothering me," she told him as she started calming herself down again. She took deep breaths and slowly explained the significance of the day. When she was done, his brow was furrowed, but he said nothing at all. Instead he walked over to her and pulled her into a hug. She rested her teary face on his shoulder and refrained from getting any boogers on his sleeve. She didn't know what else to say, so she kept silent. Cliff did the same. She let herself relax into his chest, and she could now feel that his arms were even stronger than they appeared. A new feeling washed over her that confused her for just a split second; it was a sense of being completely protected, and a comfort that she had never experienced before. She suddenly realized that she wanted to stay like that forever.

They stood there for a long moment, until finally he broke the silence.

"So, uh, I think I'm going to stay in Mineral Town awhile longer," he said.

She pulled back, surprised. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve before she responded.

"Really? But how?"

"Well, I guess it depends on if I can find a job. But I'd like to stay. So look out for one for me." He gave her a small smile.

She returned it, feeling back to normal now. "I will," she promised. "After today, we'd hire you here, but unfortunately funds are low…"

She suddenly felt a pang of guilt and something like disappointment after he had worked so hard all day, and it had just occurred to her that perhaps he was only doing it for payment.

He seemed to read her mind.

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that," he explained. "I understand that you aren't looking to hire here. And I don't expect payment for today. I offered, after all. Anyway, hopefully things will work out."

She smiled at him, feeling relieved. "I hope so, too," she said.

* * *

><p>The rest of the night passed by without any more disturbances, and Ann was relieved when the last customer had left. Cliff had finished up in the kitchen, and after graciously thanking him she went to wipe up. They told each other good night and he had departed into his room. Her father had still not turned up, but she had not expected him to come in until after she would be asleep. She knew that he did not want to display any sign of weakness.<p>

She had almost completely forgotten about Karen wanting to speak with her until the girl herself had walked in the door just as she was finishing up. Her heart sped up and her head felt a little hotter as she thought about it concerning Cliff again.

_Please don't let it turn out that he really _is_ some sort of asshole, _she thought to herself. _Not after today_.

And then she felt selfish, as it could be concerning someone's health.

They sat down at the bar and Karen did not waste any time with small talk. Her eyes were fixed on the table as she began.

"I know I've done some stupid things in the past, but this time I've done something completely idiotic," she said. Ann felt a small burden lift from her chest, as it did not seem to be about Cliff after all.

"Oh, Kare, we all make mistakes," Ann said reassuringly, laying a hand on Karen's wrist.

Karen kept her gaze downward.

"This time I may have hurt someone else with my stupidity, though," she continued. "One of my closest friends…"

She paused.

"Ann, I slept with someone… someone that I knew should have been off-limits."

At this, she finally looked up and met Ann right in the eyes. Ann's heart dropped to the bottom of her stomach.


	6. Cassava

**Chapter 6**

**_Cassava_  
><strong>

A thousand things seemed to pass through Ann's mind in the couple of seconds following Karen's admission. None of them seemed to make any sense.

_Karen? Cliff? Together? _

_But…how? _

_When? _

These were things she wanted to say out loud, but her tongue was too heavy and she couldn't figure out what question to ask first. So she sat there, silent, as Karen took in a choky breath and a tear made its way down her cheek.

"It was the last night of summer," she continued, answering at least one of Ann's unasked questions. "We both had those beers, he was just going to walk me home, and then…"

Ann cut her off. After the initial confusion had worn off, she began to feel angry. _Very _angry. At Cliff and Karen, of course, but mostly at herself. For being so goddess-be-damned stupid when she thought that he might have… that she herself might have felt...

"I don't understand, Karen. How could you have… I mean, even though nothing ever… may never _have_ happened, you _knew_-"

Tears were sliding down Karen's face unrestrainedly now. Ann tried to feel more sympathy for her, but couldn't. She was supposed to be her friend. Her _best_ friend, in fact. And this was just not something "best" friends did to one another.

"I _know_, Ann… I was a motherfucking idiot! I t-told you, okay?"

Ann did not accept this excuse. She knew Karen to have more sense than that. Perhaps she was more promiscuous when compared to Ann, but she had never done anything to hurt her once, in all of the years they had been friends… which, in her case, was her entire life.

She blinked twice and tried to clear her mind. Trying to muster up as indignant of an expression as she possibly could, she trained her eyes on the teary girl in front of her.

"Then, Karen, _why_?"

"It's not like it was my _goal_ to steal him away from her, I j-j-just-"

Ann's anger abated as quickly as it had come. '_Her_?' The word echoed dully in her head.

"Wait… _what_? What are you talking about?"

Karen blinked out tears as she shook her head from side to side.

"He n-never saw her that way, he told me… she annoyed him actually, she just f-f-followed him around all the time…"

And then it dawned on her. The _her _she was referring to was not she herself, but…

"Kai? You slept with _Kai_?"

Karen's teary face at once registered the misunderstanding. She almost smiled.

"Oh, goddess, yes. I didn't mean-"

"-I thought you were talking about-"

"-Cliff, I know," she whispered.

"Yeah."

They were silent for a moment, and then Ann jumped up toward her friend, pulling her into a hug. It was still a terrible thing that she had done to Popuri, but at the moment, Ann didn't seem to care.

"I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean to scare you," Karen mumbled, finally pulling away from Ann's shoulder.

Ann chuckled awkwardly. "Me, scared? No, I was just…"

"So you _do_ like him, then?" Karen's eyebrows were arched and her tears had finally subsided.

Ann let out a defeated sigh.

"Oh, don't act so surprised," she smirked. She playfully hit Karen on the shoulder. Her friend smiled for the first time that night.

"I feel so relieved now that I've told someone, you know. It was eating me up inside this whole week," Karen said, changing the subject. "Of course, I don't know how I am going to tell Popuri, after you just reacted like that when you thought I was talking about Cliff…"

She frowned again. Ann chewed her lip, deliberating. After a moment she had reached a conclusion.

"Don't tell her, Kare," she said. "She doesn't need to know. If Kai was never going to feel that way about her, it wouldn't have ever come to anything anyway. Telling her would only crush her more."

Karen sighed. Her eyes were red and she looked exhausted.

"I guess, but I don't want her to go on following him around like a stray puppy, not knowing that he will never feel the same…"

Ann placed a hand resolutely on Karen's shoulder.

"That's for _him_ to tell her… not you," she replied. "Besides, it's Popuri… she will fall blindly for the next attractive bachelor who shows her any attention."

They both chuckled, knowing that was probably true.

"Too bad it's fucking Mineral Town," Karen remarked. "Where hot guys only wander in once every million or so years."

She winked at Ann, who was already rolling her eyes.

* * *

><p>Ann was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow that night. When she awoke the next morning, her father was home and already up, busily making pancakes in their tiny kitchenette.<p>

She dragged herself out of bed, walked over to where he was standing, and hugged his back. He turned to her automatically, a smile emerging from under his bushy red mustache.

"Morning, pumpkin. I figured you deserved to sleep in a little this morning after doing such an _incredible_ job with the inn yesterday."

He beamed at her proudly. She returned his smile, glad to have her father back.

"Thanks, Pa," she said. She thought for a moment and then added, "I did have some help, though."

He peaked his eyebrows at her.

"Oh? And here I was thinking you were some sort of wonder woman, managing everything by yourself," he said teasingly. "Who'd you drag into the mess with you? Karen? Gray?"

She shook her head, not knowing what effect the following words would have on him.

"Actually, no. Cliff helped me out," she said, pausing to read his expression.

His brow furrowed for just a moment, and then he appeared to force himself into maintaining a neutral expression.

"Oh," he said after a short silence. "That's nice."

The conversation ended there, and he went back to making pancakes. She felt her disappointment, but then considered the alternatives, and decided that it could have been much, much worse.

She showered, dressed, and ate her breakfast down hungrily. Her morning chores seemed light compared to the previous day's, and she felt in a better mood than she had all week, despite the rather heavy conversation that took place with Karen the night before.

The only time she encountered Cliff that day was when he left the inn in the late morning, heading, she assumed, to the church. She felt inexplicably embarrassed when he passed her by, giving her a slight smile and a parting wave. She waved back, sure that her face had just turned the color of a ripe summer tomato. She was glad his penetrating brown eyes had already turned away from her.

The feeling continued for much of the week, and she simply felt too scared to go upstairs and talk to him in the evenings as she had before. Everything she had ever said to him suddenly sounded a thousand times more idiotic than it had when she had initially said it, and she was worried that if she opened her mouth she would say something so stupid that it would scare him off forever. Besides, her father had become more watchful of her after she had admitted that he had helped out at the inn while he was gone. He clearly still did not trust Cliff, even if he did not directly come out and say it.

Still, she yearned to talk to him, as well as follow through on her promise to Carter and be his friend, even if that was all she was to him. She found the opportunity on the night before the Harvest Festival. Gathering up all the courage she could muster, she stole away from the crowded bar and approached him as he sat alone at one of the tables, drinking a beer and reading through what looked to be a pamphlet containing several complicated mathematical equations.

He looked at her as she sat down, and she felt a shiver run down her spine, much as she did the first time he had ever laid eyes on her.

"Hey," she said, managing a small smile.

"Hey," he replied. "Long time, no see."

"Yeah… sorry, been pretty busy 'round here lately…" She chuckled slightly, trying to shake it off. "Um, anyway, I just wanted to see if you were going to be at the Harvest Festival tomorrow… it's pretty delicious, you know. Er, the stew I mean." She felt herself starting to blush. "The stew we make _at_ the Harvest Festival, that is."

He smiled a full-on smile. She was pretty sure he now thought she was an idiot, if he hadn't already.

"Yeah, okay, I guess I'll check it out. I mean, who can pass up free food, right?"

She chuckled. "Yeah, it's pretty delicious…"

"So I've heard."

She realized she was now repeating herself. _OK, shut up and leave now, Ann. Shut up and leave, _she thought.

"Ha ha, yes, well…" she said, now rising from the table. "See you there, then?"

He smiled. "See you there."

She mentally cursed herself as she walked away.

* * *

><p>The weather for the Harvest Festival the next day was as perfect as a fall day could be. The air was as crisp as the red leaves adorning the trees and a light breeze filtered through the air. Ann wore a nice pair of dark-wash jeans and a fitted autumn-hued top in lieu of her usual overalls, and had picked out a small knapsack to hold her festival ingredients. She had put her hair into one long braid and tied in her usual bow. She wanted to look nice, but not over the top.<p>

As she and her father stepped into the square around ten that morning, she noticed to her great surprise that Cliff had already arrived, and was standing over in the corner with a chatty Karen, who seemed to be the one doing all the talking. Every once in awhile Ann noticed him nod politely. She kept her distance for a short while, greeting Lillia, Popuri, Gotz, Carter, Thomas, Elli, and Harris, until her father left to oversee the setup of the giant cauldron that would soon simmer with the many ingredients that the villagers had brought.

She gave one more quick glance toward her father, making sure that he was occupied with the festivities, and then made her way over to Cliff and Karen. Upon meeting them, Karen greeted her with a quick hug and Cliff gave her a look that told Ann that he was happy for the reprieve from Karen's monologue. After only a short moment, Karen suddenly spotted Rick and said her goodbyes to the two of them. Ann had to stop herself from her habitual eye roll. But really, she knew that she was grateful for Karen's best friend intuition.

"So, nice day, eh?" Ann began once Karen had left, starting to feel the embarrassment of them being alone together creep up on her again.

Cliff gave a smirk and a nod, but did not remark. Ann knew he wasn't one for small talk, yet somehow her whirring mind couldn't possibly seem to find a topic for conversation at the moment. They stood in awkward silence until the small mayor of Mineral Town, Thomas, hopped up on a box and welcomed them all to the festival.

"Of course the aim of this festival is to celebrate our annual autumn harvest with a giant bowl of delicious food, but let us not also forget to take it as an opportunity to be thankful for all that we have, and all those around us today." He took the next few moments to slowly scan the crowd, trying to make his words sink in. Ann also wondered if he did so because he was rarely at eye level with any of them. "Ahem! All right then, let the cooking begin!" he ended, hopping off of the box.

Ann looked toward Cliff. "Well, did you bring an ingredient?" she asked, looking to see if he was holding anything.

"I did, as a matter of fact," he answered with a hint of smugness, patting his pocket but not showing her what it contained.

Ann was scared for a moment that he had brought some kind of illegal drug, but he allayed her fears by smiling and saying, "and no, it's not a narcotic."

She laughed and shook her head.

"Well, that's good to know," she told him. "So, want me to show you how it works?"

Cliff raised one eyebrow.

"Don't we just like… throw all the ingredients into that giant pot and then wait an hour or two?"

Ann blushed. "Well, yeah… but I dunno. I like to think there's a method to the madness."

He laughed at her, but not in a mean way she supposed. She smiled at him and motioned for him to come with her to the center of the square. There, most of the villagers had already gathered to begin making their contributions to the concoction. Duke was currently at the top of the tall ladder pouring in a couple of different wines, while Manna stood at the base, telling everyone who would listen about how they were contributing two of their most _expensive_ bottles.

Ann and Cliff exchanged looks and then she pointed toward the ladder.

"We take turns adding our ingredients by climbing up and, well, throwing them in… obviously," she told him. "Generally I wouldn't have added so much wine…" she continued, under her breath. "But oh well, it's kind of the spirit of the whole thing, I guess. Though I do like to throw in my own ingredient toward the end, so it's not pushed completely to the bottom." She gave him a small wink. He nodded, looking around at the other villagers.

"How do you know who is bringing what?" he asked, observing what the others had brought. "So people don't bring too much of one ingredient, you know?"

"Oh, well we all generally stick to what we're known for... if we are known for something, that is. That, and it's been going on for so long that we all just figured it out, and now everyone tends to bring the same thing every year," she explained. "Although I like to change it up a bit."

"Oh? And what did you bring this year?" he asked, teasingly smiling at her again. She could feel butterflies in her stomach and mentally cursed herself for being so girlish.

"Guess you'll have to wait and see," she teased back.

The mass of villagers around the pot was dwindling as, one by one, they threw their offerings into the pot. Manna still remained at the bottom of the ladder, commenting on each person's offering.

"Oh dear, are _those_ the same ones as last year?" she could hear her saying about Karen's rice cakes.

Karen turned to her on top of the ladder with one of the dirtiest looks Ann had ever seen her dish out. Manna seemed not to notice, and instead remarked that it was things like _that _that offset the quality of some of the other ingredients.

Karen reached the bottom of the ladder and made her way toward Ann, fuming.

"I'd like to offset the quality of her fucking face," she mumbled as she passed her by. Ann chuckled. She turned toward Cliff.

"All right, want to give it a try?"

He nodded. "Just hope that its approval rating is higher than the last one," he laughed.

He climbed up the tall ladder, stopped, then reached into his pocket. Ann saw him pull out a small wad of something that slightly resembled marijuana leaves, which he proceeded to pick from their stem and throw in one by one. She figured it was some kind of herb, but she had never seen the particular one before. Manna seemed, for once, to be speechless. She looked at her father, who seemed intrigued rather than irritated at what the boy was putting in the stew, and she felt a small rush of something—perhaps hopefulness—pass through her.

After a minute or so Cliff came down off the ladder, ignoring Manna's now persistent questions about what sort of poison he had just thrown into the stew. To Ann's relief, she saw her father explaining something to the nosy woman, and she seemed to calm down for the time being.

Once Cliff had reached her, she couldn't help her curiosity. "What _was_ that?" she asked, feeling a bit embarrassed that she didn't know since she was supposed to be an excellent chef.

"Cassava leaves," he answered. "They are typically used in African dishes, but they have a nice sort of flavor that reminds me of fried potatoes."

She nodded, impressed, wondering if he had recently been through Africa.

"Well, I guess it's my turn then…" she told him, pulling her knapsack from her back and heading toward the ladder. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Manna watching her haughtily.

She climbed the ladder rung by rung until she finally reached the top. She looked down into the pot and could already smell the wonderful scent of dozens of ingredients blending together. She could even detect the new scent of the herb that Cliff had used. Her mouth watered anxiously.

She reached into her bag and pulled out two sweet onions, then began to peel off their outer layer. She heard Manna exclaim something from below her, but didn't pay any attention to it. Once she was done, she threw the first couple in the pot and pulled out another two.

Halfway into peeling the next onion, she felt a slight disruption from the bottom of the ladder and peered down. The first thing she registered was Duke's maroon-red face yelling up at her.

"You stupid girl, you're ruining everyone's work!" he shouted.

She looked down with a bemused expression. "What, can't handle a little onion?" she taunted, finishing with the third onion and throwing it in.

That seemed to enrage him further. She saw him start to make his way up the ladder, and she turned back to the stew, quickly peeling the fourth onion and throwing it in.

She had just pulled out another when she felt his hand grab ahold of her pant leg.

"Damnit girl, learn some respect!" he shouted.

She kicked at him instinctively. He growled and pulled down harder.

That was the point when all hell broke loose. In a blur she saw her father emerge at the bottom of the ladder, yelling at Duke to get away from her. Manna was speaking at an abnormally fast pace, and the other villagers were gathering to watch the scene erupt before them.

She felt the ladder sway before she could fully realize what was happening. She tried to grab for the edge of the pot, but they had already begun to fall backward and it was now out of her reach. Duke had finally let go of her leg, but it had already slipped from the rung of the ladder, and the other was quickly sliding off the small wooden surface as well. She recognized in a panic that she had to let go, or else she was going to fall onto her back and be crushed by the heavy ladder in a manner of seconds. So, bracing herself for impact, she released her grip and covered her head with her arms, using the foot that still had contact with the ladder to jump to the side, and then she felt herself falling toward the cobblestone pavement.

In an instant she had landed, but with less of a collision than she had been expecting. Her feeling of alarm departed as she realized that someone had caught her from below, and she issued a silent thank you to the goddess. She removed her arms from her face and at once her eyes were met with the same piercing brown ones that she both loved and hated.

"Hello," Cliff said.

"Hi," she responded.

"You okay?" he asked, continuing to hold her close to his chest.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I think."

It was a moment she would have liked to live in for awhile, but it was interrupted as reality set back in with the shouts of the others nearby. He set her down softly and she turned toward the noise. Duke was sitting on the ground a few feet from her, holding his arm and complaining loudly that it and who knew what else was broken. She felt no pang of sympathy toward him. And then her heart stopped. Behind him, his leg still pinned underneath the ladder, lay her father. He wasn't moving. Elli was at his side, checking him, while several of the others looked at him in one terrified huddle.

Her feet carried her to his side without her knowing it. Then she was kneeling, her hand on his chest, tears already forming in her eyes.

"Dad, dad... come on, wake up!" she yelled, attempting to shake him. She felt Elli take her hand and gently push it back.

"Ann, honey, please stop that. He's alive, he's just unconscious. The doctor already went for a stretcher, he'll be back in a moment and then we will take him to the clinic," she told her gently. Ann only registered the fact that he was alive and nothing else.

Then, suddenly, she was back on her feet, and her blood was boiling. She turned on her heel and lunged at Duke, grabbing his shirt and attempting to drag him up as she heard the expletives fly from her mouth.

He returned suit, using his uninjured arm to claw at her hand. And then she felt herself being pulled back from behind, and could see Harris and Cliff insert themselves in front of her, holding off the enraged winery owner.

She continued to reach for him until she realized it was futile.

"Ann, calm down. It's all right," she heard a deep voice say from behind her.

He turned her around and she collapsed into his chest, sobbing. She could smell the forge's ashen scent as he put his arms around her.

"Hey, it's all right," he said, rubbing her back in small circles. "He's going to be okay."

She pulled back and wiped her nose with her sleeve. Gray's blue eyes were on her face, soft compared to Cliff's brown ones. She nodded and then looked around.

She saw that Cliff and Harris had somehow managed to subdue Duke as well. Elli was now tending to his arm while the doctor and Gotz were gently lifting her father onto a stretcher. He was still unconscious, but she could see his chest rising in slow movements and felt slightly better. She walked over to his side and followed as they headed out of the square, telling everyone else to stay back.

In the background, she could hear Mayor Thomas try and salvage what was left of the wreckage of his festival.

* * *

><p>The following hour was a mixture of worry, anger, and guilt as Ann waited in the lobby for news of her father.<p>

_Why_ did she have to taunt that asshole? She felt that she should have known that the onions would have caused him to overreact and that something bad would have happened. Although she couldn't have realized that it would have involved her father's safety. But still, it was all her fault then, wasn't it? Although she couldn't have expected the level of idiocy that Duke had displayed, and she realized that he must have been drinking.

_I want to rip that fucker's head off_, she thought. This feeling was compounded by the moans and complains she could occasionally hear from him in another of the clinic's back rooms.

Finally, after what seemed like days, Elli emerged into the waiting room.

"He's awake now, you can see him," she told her. Ann was in his room in a heartbeat. Upon seeing her father sitting up dazedly in bed, she grabbed his hand and kissed it. Tears ran down her cheeks as she felt an instant wave of relief hit her. She smiled at him.

He looked over at her, returning her smile. He had a bandage around his head, and she could see that the left side of his face was scraped and bruised. He squeezed her hand with his own.

"Don't cry," he told her soothingly. "I'm right here, Mags."

It took Ann a moment to realize that he had just called her by her mother's name.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7**_

_Mags? _

The name echoed dully in Ann's head as she stood by her father's bed, trying to process too much information at once. She hardly ever heard her dad use her mother's name, and he had never before made the mistake of calling Ann by it, even with their strong resemblance. But she knew she was not mistaken in what she heard; he had called her Maggie and was now looking at her in a way that felt foreign to her.

She squeezed his hand and looked him in the eyes, trying to hold back more tears.

"No, dad… it's Ann. Your daughter," she gently told him.

He blinked and realization slowly filtered into his eyes. He shook his head. "Oh, Ann. Of course, pumpkin, I'm sorry. It just… for a moment it felt like it was…" he trailed off, looking out at some point in the distance.

From another part of the room, she heard someone lightly clear their throat. She looked around to see Elli at the door, motioning to come over to her. Ann turned back to her father and let go of his hand, whispering that she'd be back in a moment. Then she got up and made her way out of the room and into the hall with Elli.

"Sorry, sweetie… I should have warned you. Your father seems to have suffered a concussion from his fall; it's very normal for a patient to experience some temporary amnesia if they were rendered unconscious at the time of the concussion," she explained. "He'll be confused for a day or so, but don't worry, he will gain all of his long-term memories back."

Ann felt as if a large weight had suddenly been lifted from her chest.

"Oh, thank the goddess. Will he remember how it happened?" she asked, sending a glance back toward him in the room.

Elli chewed her lip. "Hmm, probably not. At least, it's not likely. We already explained it to him when he woke up, as he had no idea what was going on or how he got here. His short-term memory is a different story; he may regain a hazy recollection of the last two days, but it is more probable that he won't remember them at all."

Fleetingly, Ann thought about the impressed look he had given Cliff earlier at the festival, and she felt a small stab of pain to go with it.

"Er, but is that the only problem? I mean, was he hurt otherwise?"

"Well, there's his leg…" Elli gestured toward him, and Ann took notice of the end of a thick protective boot protruding from under the blanket. "His right fibula suffered a break in two places, and he will have to undergo a small realignment surgery later this evening. It isn't dangerous, but he will be confined to bed rest for a minimum of two weeks, and then he will need to walk with crutches for at least three seasons. But it should heal completely with some weekly physical therapy."

Ann took this information in slowly.

"So he'll be unable run the inn…" she said, comprehending with a small amount of panic. Elli nodded sadly.

"I'm sorry, hun, but he needs to stay off it as much as possible. However, after a few weeks he should be able to accomplish limited activities. Duke's in a similar position with a radial fracture, although it's not nearly as severe…"

At Duke's mention, Ann's head snapped back from her father to the clinic hallway. She suddenly remembered that he was also there, in that very clinic, and that _he_ was the one responsible for putting her father in that bed. Her temper flared and she had long stopped listening to the well-meaning nurse. So his arm was indeed broken. Served him right. She wished _she_ could add to his injuries herself, but then she was struck by an even better idea.

She took off down the hallway toward his room without a word, leaving a stunned nurse in her wake. She burst into his room without knocking. Upon seeing the incensed red-head, Manna's and Duke's mouths fell open simultaneously in order to say something.

_"I want you to hire Cliff,"_ she blurted before they could protest her arrival.

"Wh-what?" Duke sputtered, obviously taken aback. She noticed he was clutching his right arm, which was in a sling.

"You heard me," she growled, making her way over to his bed and pointing her finger at his face. "You obviously can't pick all those grapes with a broken arm," she continued, trying to seem menacing. "So here's what I'm proposing. You hire Cliff, and you pay him full-time for at least two seasons, _with benefits_, or else I'm filing a police report on your sorry ass."

He looked taken aback for a moment, and then he sneered at her, unwilling to hear anything she had to say.

"Oh yeah? And how about I file one on you for _assault_?" he growled back at her.

"Because no one in their right mind would buy that," she replied, cooling down now. "How many witnesses were there in the square now? Including Harris, the town's only _officer_..."

He had shut up, but he stared daggers at her.

"_Fine_," he snarled, just above a whisper.

"Hm, what was that?" she said, leaning down toward his ear as if she hadn't heard him.

"I SAID_ FINE, _DAMNIT!_" _he barked, spittle flying from his mouth. "But I'm not hiring him because of _you_, I'm hiring him because I'd lose my damn profit otherwise," he continued in defiance.

Manna, who had been sitting eerily silent in the corner up until this point, now spoke up.

"But Duke, honey, can we even afford to—" she began.

"Quiet, Manna. We'll hire the boy, or else the whole year's hard work is down the tube. And he's shown us more reason than _her_, anyway," he said, looking at Ann. "But he better do a decent job. If he screws up, or if I realize you two are in it together to try and rip me off, I maintain the right to fire him at any time. _Got that_?"

Ann nodded after a moment's consideration. "Fine. But I'm drawing up a contract later just so you don't try and weasel your way out of anything."

He grunted, and she was satisfied. She turned on her heel and started to head out of the room when he spoke up.

"Oh, and girl," he began, his gruff tone now softening slightly. "Give your old man my apologies."

Ann turned to him nearly in disbelief, but said nothing. She nodded curtly and then left the room.

* * *

><p>By the time Ann had made it back to the inn that night around nine o'clock, she was dead tired and her head was pounding. She had stayed with her father up until the moment he was taken in for his realignment surgery, when Elli had urged her to go home and get some rest. She relented, but only because she was exhausted and aching herself, and so she left the clinic with a promise to her father to return the next day.<p>

Karen, Cliff, and Gray were waiting for her at the bar as she entered the inn. She could hear Karen's voice cut off mid-sentence as she turned around to see Ann shuffle through the doorway, looking like a zombie. She was at her side in less than two seconds, giving her a quick hug and checking her over.

"So?" she inquired, her eyes showing her worry. "How is he?"

"He's okay," Ann muttered, just as Gray and Cliff had made it over to her as well. "I mean, he has a concussion. And his leg is broken—" At this, Karen inhaled sharply. "—but no lasting damage. He'll just be off his leg for a few seasons. And I'll have to run the inn by myself for a couple weeks at the very least."

Karen's eyes were wide, and both Cliff and Gray were looking away from her as they took in the news.

"Damn," Karen began, breaking the tepid silence. "Well, I'm off Tuesdays and Sundays, and I can help with the bar on the weekends… I wish I were more available but I have the store—"

"I'll help Thursdays," Gray chimed in. "And in the evenings, after work."

"I'm free all the time," Cliff added. "I can help out whenever you need me."

Ann couldn't help but give a tired smile at the generosity of her friends, yet she felt guilty about the fact that she couldn't remunerate them in any way.

"Thanks, guys. But Karen, you have the store to worry about, and you're busy enough with that as it is," she began. "Although I _can_ use your help with the bar. Gray," she said, now turning to face him. "The old man works you to the point of exhaustion everyday, and I couldn't bear to put more on you. Though I'll gladly accept your help on Thursdays." She now turned to Cliff, hoping to deliver the best news she could of that day. "And actually, Cliff, you're not going to be as free as you might think," she told him, and she saw his look change to confusion. "I got you a job. At the winery. Duke will be paying you full-time for mostly picking grapes and whatnot, as he can no longer do the work himself for the next couple of seasons."

Cliff opened his mouth as if he were about to protest, but Ann held up a hand stubbornly.

"Look, I know you want to help here, and I know it doesn't seem like the best prospect in the world to work for that ass wipe, but the fact is that we can't pay you, and I'd feel too guilty taking advantage of your help without some type of payment. We also need the income, so we can't afford to let you stay and eat here for free. But look at it this way, at least you'll be making money off of Duke's own stupidity. And I can't see any other job opportunity opening up here in town."

After thinking a moment, Cliff nodded, resigned. She felt relief that he didn't argue with her, and hoped that working at the winery wouldn't be terrible. But she couldn't see him staying in Mineral Town any other way, and part of her selfishly couldn't bear the thought of him having to leave.

"So, all by yourself, huh?" Karen asked after a moment, diffusing the tension once again. "Well, if anyone can do it, you can, babe." She cracked a smile, bumping Ann with her shoulder encouragingly.

Ann returned her smile, feeling doubtful, but not seeing any other alternative at the moment. She thanked her friends again and told them she was going to call it a night. Karen gave her one last hug and took her leave. Gray told her to hang in there and left the inn, presumably to go and share the development with Mary. However Cliff lingered behind, waiting until the other two had shut the door behind them before speaking up.

"Thanks, you know," he began, looking slightly stoic but grateful. "I was just about to run out of cash, so…"

He looked off to the side as his words tapered off, and Ann could tell that money, or rather the lack thereof, was a sore topic for him.

"Don't mention it," she replied, brushing it off. "And thanks, you know… for catching me earlier. I mean, I probably would have been in a hospital bed alongside my dad right now if you hadn't…" she said with some color rising in her cheeks. "And then the inn would have _really_ been in trouble."

He smiled at her. "Well, I guess we're even, then."

"Yeah, guess we are," she replied. She stood there, the tired part of her willing her to go to bed, but she couldn't bring herself to say good night just yet.

While she was still debating, Cliff turned to her with a look that showed he was exhausted, too.

"So, you want a beer?" he asked unexpectedly. "On me, of course."

She considered it, then agreed by nodding her head with a resigned sigh. They trudged over to the bar, and she sat on one of the stools while he filled two mugs from the tap, then pulled a bill from his pocket and stuck it in the cash register. He slid a beer over to her, then came around the bar and took up the stool next to her.

"Well, how is everything?" he asked, taking a sip from his mug.

She shook her head, taking a gulp from her own and letting the cool liquid slide down her throat.

"Hm, well, it could have been a lot worse. We're lucky only one leg was broken, and he won't need a wheelchair, but—"

"No, Ann. I meant how is everything with _you_," he said, looking over at her.

"Oh," she responded, her ears burning. "I guess I'm okay. Tired, though. It was a long day, obviously."

He held his gaze on her as she took another drink and continued to look down at the mug in front of her.

"Well, yeah," he said. "But tell me the truth. Remember how you wanted to be more straightforward? Well, now's the time. Lay it on me."

She laughed in spite of herself. _So he remembered_.

"Well, I'm miserable, and I don't think I've ever felt as many emotions in one day," she began, letting her last shred of embarrassment die away with a mix of sleepiness and booze. "I thought I'd lost my dad today, for one terrifying moment. And now I'm scared to death of running the inn without him. Oh, and I also lost my shit in front of everyone in town, so there's that. And now, I guess I feel… guilty. I can't get over that. _Why_ do I feel so guilty?" she paused and took a deep breath. "It wasn't even really my fault, but some part of me keeps telling me it was. If I wasn't so damn _stubborn_…" she trailed off, rubbing her temple in order to stop the pounding in her head that had started up again.

"Listen, Ann," Cliff began after a moment, realizing she had finished. "No way in hell was this _your_ fault. But it's natural to feel guilty, I guess. You were involved. But you didn't cause anything. So stop beating yourself up."

"But if I had just brought another ingre—"

"–no, it has nothing to do with what you brought. Duke's an alcoholic. Trust me, I've seen it before. He was just looking for some excuse to erupt."

"Still, I gave him that excuse."

Cliff put his hand on her shoulder. She ceased rubbing her temple.

"Ann, stop it. It's not your fault," he continued, his eyes boring into her. "You can't change what happened. There's no use in asking 'what if?' and driving yourself insane. It was an accident, you know? They happen."

"All right," she said, giving in. "Fine. Not my fault, I guess."

She finally let herself look at him, and he was smiling softly at her.

"And as for the inn," he continued, "you're going to do one hell of a job."

He raised his mug to her, and she clinked it with her own, finally returning his smile.

"Thanks," she said, feeling much better than she had since the festival. She drank down the rest of her beer then refilled her mug, letting the liquid comfort her. After a few minutes where the two sat reflecting in silence, sipping their drinks, she began to feel more brave.

"You know, I didn't really like you when you first came here," she admitted after draining her second beer.

"Oh really? I didn't notice," he said sarcastically, smirking at her.

She hit him playfully on the arm.

"Ha! Ok, well, you weren't exactly the type we were used to seeing around here," she continued.

"And what 'type' would that be exactly? Duke?"

"Well, no," she admitted, wondering at that herself. "But something about you just seemed so, I dunno, dark. Mysterious, maybe. Which I guess I mistook for threatening," she said, chuckling a little.

He gave a small laugh in return. "Hmm, yeah, all right. But wait, aren't dark, brooding guys supposed to be sexy?"

She cocked an eyebrow and shook her head. "Not when they're this cocky," she shot back, and he feigned being stabbed in the heart.

"Well, there goes my whole persona," he laughed.

She smiled and then suddenly turned serious, furrowing her brow and staring at the wooden surface of the bar.

"Cliff?"

"Yeah?"

Ann chewed her lip and then turned to face him.

"Why do you want to stay in Mineral Town?" she asked. She was feeling particularly brave and couldn't pass it up.

He looked down into his mug, tracing the glass rim with the tip of his finger.

"Well," he began, taking a breath. "I dunno, really. Something about it reminds me… of a place I lived when I was really young," he said, his brow furrowing and causing a shadow to fall over his eyes.

Ann's heart fell a little. She had been hoping for another reason, but what did she expect him to say? _Because of her?_

"Oh," she answered, trying not to let her disappointment show through. "I see."

"And the people aren't bad, either," he said, looking at her and smiling. Her heart did a little back flip in her chest. "Well, most of 'em, anyway…"

She laughed, not knowing how to respond, and took another drink.

They continued talking until Ann was halfway through her fourth beer, and her vision was starting to swim. The mixture of exhaustion, lack of food, and alcohol was starting to heavily take its toll on her, and she was starting to think that even the prospect of staying up and talking to Cliff was losing its allure. He was saying something, but she couldn't focus on what it was without her head drooping onto her arm and her eyelids sliding closed.

It wasn't until she was already in her bed that she had realized that Cliff had carried her there and was now pulling the blankets over her. She wanted to thank him, to let him know how much everything he had done meant to her, but her mind couldn't formulate the words and her tongue couldn't express them.

"You have a good father, you know," he said gently as he took her bow out of her hair, letting her braid loosen and come undone.

She nodded weakly. "Mmmhmm," she said. "What… what about, y-yooour's?" she asked as she let out a big yawn and turned over on her side to face him.

His face was turned away from her, and she could see his profile in the dim light as he seemed to quietly consider her question.

"Well, I don't really think of myself as having a father," he answered simply. And then he turned to her, and she could see his eyes soften even as she looked up at him in the dark. "Anyway, you should get some sleep," he said, setting her ribbon on the table next to her and turning to leave.

She wanted to give in to his request, to let her eyes shut and her mind turn off, but she was suddenly struck with the realization that she would be alone after he left, and it terrified her.

"Cliff," she called anxiously as he was nearing the door. "Um, can you stay… until I do?"

He nodded and made his way back over to her. He sat on the edge of the bed, a few inches away from her.

"G'night," she mumbled, turning over on her back and feeling instantly comforted.

"Good night, Ann," he replied.

Her last recollection was the soft touch of his hand moving the hair from her face as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Well, couple things.<br>_

_I guess I wrote this song a teensy bit more... fluffish... then I had intended, 'cause I was listening to the_ Love Actually_ soundtrack while I wrote it, and... argh. I hope it wasn't too terrible._

_Second, I couldn't for the life of me think of a good one-word title for this chap. Anyone got any suggestions?_

_Thanks to those who reviewed, and those who are silently reading. ;)_


End file.
